The present invention relates to a sealing device for cylindrical hollow bodies with an opening at an end face, especially for sealing pump sockets in the interior of reactor containers, whereby the sealing device is essentially comprised of two components, a cylindrical sealing insert and a placing tool.
Sealing devices of the aforementioned kind are preferably employed in nuclear plants and reactors during controlling and servicing procedures, especially for sealing, respectively, separating liquid circuits in reactors. The special suitability of such devices is primarily based on the remote controllability so that exposure to radiation and endangerment of operating personnel is prevented. Furthermore, a reliable sealing of the respective opening, even when the placing tool is separate from the sealing insert, is provided with these devices. The sealing devices of the aforementioned kind furthermore provide the possibility to remove the sealing inserts with the placing tool.
Such a demountable and remountable sealing device for pipes is, for example, known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,207, especially for sealing the socket of the primary coolant of a reactor pressure container. The sealing device of the prior art is comprised of a cylindrical sealing insert with at least one sealing ring and an operating device (placing tool) for transporting, inserting and demounting the sealing insert. For positioning the sealing insert in the operating device, the operating device is inserted with the aid of roller arms into the inner one of two coaxially arranged sealing insert members which are axially slidable relative to one another. The connection between the sealing insert and the operating device is accomplished by moving locking bolts of a sliding, disk of the operating device radially outwardly, so that the bolts engage openings of the sealing insert.
It is a disadvantage of the known sealing devices that, due to the space requirements of the operating device that must be inserted into the interior of the sealing insert, only pipes of a relatively great diameter may be sealed.
it is furthermore disadvantageous that the coupling of the sealing insert and the operating device via bolts engaging respective openings requires an exact positioning of the components with respect to their rotational position relative to one another which, especially in remote controlling and in underwater applications, makes the coupling of the sealing insert more difficult.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sealing device of the aforementioned kind with which openings of cylindrical hollow bodies having a small diameter may be sealed reliably and with which the insertion of the operating device, respectively, placing tool is possible independent of the relative rotational position of the two components.